If you didn’t see my birth vlog on my YouTube channel, you may not know that we had our sweet baby boy Rowan Matthew on June 30th! Since it seems like ‘Rona is sticking around and we are still practicing strict social distancing, getting newborn photos of our precious boy taken at a studio wasn’t really an option. Still, I knew I didn’t want to miss capturing this special time, so we decided to do a DIY newborn photoshoot at home!
After doing my DIY maternity photoshoot I was pretty confident that we could get some good shots without having to leave our apartment and potentially expose our little babe to the virus. I’m a product and event photographer so I have camera-knowledge and some nice equipment on hand which was really helpful, but shooting portraits of a baby was definitely outside my comfort zone!
First I want to note that you can absolutely achieve similar results just using your smart phone and things you have around your home! Perfection is not a prerequisite; the most important thing is to capture the memories! Here’s all the tips and tricks for how we made it work.
We Took Photos Right After a Big Feed
We waited to take photos until right after I had nursed Rowan, so he was sleepy and very posable! Trying to take photos with a cranky, hungry baby definitely wouldn’t have resulted in the soft, calm, sweet portraits we were looking for.
We Used Seamless Paper as a Backdrop
I had this roll of white seamless paper lying around from a headshot session I did last year. We used this backdrop stand to create a little home studio using the natural light in our living room. If you don’t already have these things lying around, it’s a bit of an investment, but I think this was the #1 thing that helped us get professional looking photos and compared to the cost of purchasing a newborn portrait session, this was a huge savings! If it’s not in your budget, you could always iron a white top sheet and tack it to your wall for a similar look!
We Used What We Had
We pulled items from around our house to use as staging. For example, the cushion that Rowan is lying on in the photos is actually just our bunny bed covered in a white sheet! I also knew I wanted to use a light neutral blanket for some shots, but we didn’t have one on hand. Instead of going out and buying one, we just folded up one of my cardigans and hid the arms and tag!
We Got in Some Shots With Him
If you’ve just given birth, your self-confidence might not be at an all-time high. Mama, I get it. You’re exhausted, you’re bleeding, and the aftermath of your cute baby bump might have left your body looking unrecognizable to you. Still, I think it’s really important to be in some of the newborn photos you take of your little one. Set up a tripod and self timer or have your spouse get behind the camera and capture some pictures of you and your little one during this special period. You don’t have to show them to anybody if you don’t want to, but I promise you’ll be glad you have them to look back on when your baby suddenly isn’t a baby anymore and you’re feeling nostalgic.
We Captured the Little Details
We paid special attention to all the tiny details we wanted to remember forever. Babies don’t keep and his tiny fingers and toes won’t stay little for long! We also made sure to get a shot of his full head of hair!
We Got Some Lifestyle Shots Too
I love the studio look but there’s also something so special about simple, at-home lifestyle images that capture life as it is right now.
If you have your own DIY newborn photoshoot at home using these tips, please tag me on Instagram so thatI can see!
The Photos
Shop the Post
Disclaimer: this post may include affiliate links, meaning that I make a small percentage of the purchase price (at no additional cost to you) if you order any of these items online! I promise to only recommend products I genuinely use and believe in. This post is not sponsored.
